Danielle’s strength is the depth and breadth of her experience in planning and local government. Prior to being admitted as a planning lawyer Danielle worked in local government as a qualified planner for many years.  Moving into local government, town planning and environmental law was a logical progression in her career given her prior development assessment experience, and familiarity with local government operations. Danielle’s career journey has provided her with a greater understanding of the issues confronted by clients and assists her in delivering more practical outcomes. Her analysis of problems rises out of years of feet on the ground experience. The solutions she provides are clear, well thought out, practical and frequently provide an innovative way around the issue.

Clients find Danielle’s friendly, no nonsense, easy manner a boon to communication. Her excellent communication skills serve clients well in both litigation and advisory matters in town planning, environment and local government law.

Danielle has worked exclusively within these fields of legal expertise.

She has advised Local Government authorities, landholders, developers and third parties (such as submitters and other entities) on a vast range of issues including development application processes, approvals and appeals, superseded legislation and land use rights, enforcement, compliance and prosecutions, environmental matters, native title and heritage matters, resumptions, infrastructure, statutory interpretation, development entitlements and development issues generally.

Her skill set includes advising in complex advisory matters, as well as drafting and negotiating agreements and statutory notices, drafting and reviewing local government planning schemes and local laws, undertaking due diligence investigations, the provision of advice regarding all aspects of the development application process, vegetation clearing, tenure, coastal management, energy and resources, infrastructure, cultural heritage, hydraulic management and mitigation, management of contamination and enforcement issues.

Danielle has extensive experience in the Planning and Environment Court, including appeals, declaratory matters, enforcement proceedings, and alternative dispute resolution processes. She has represented local government, landholders, developers and third parties in litigation ranging from complex shopping centre appeals to more simple declaratory proceedings relating to the construction of planning schemes and disputes about conditions of development approvals.

While mainly working from a South-East Queensland base the demand for Danielle’s skill has meant she has worked as far as Cairns in the north and Cloncurry in the west. That demand has also extended her work on town planning and environmental matters to interstate, including Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory and included complex contamination, native title and due diligence investigations.

Out of hours Danielle is a sports photographer and photographs a wide range of events up to an international level.